The big question heading into the screening of Jumanji: The Next Level was whether lightning could strike twice for the Dwayne Johnson-led jungle outing. The answer, in my opinion, is a resounding YES (but different.)
Watching the film with my wife and kids (ages 7 and 20), we all laughed at the same jokes and cheered for the successes of the players/actors as they played their way through the game levels, including (a meta) cutscene. Around us the audience shared the same reactions. The funniest crowd reaction was from a very young child in the next row who shouted “Holy shit!” echoing the line of one of the actors during a hilarious scene.
Audiences around the world agree that Jumanji: The Next Level lives up to the hype and breaks the dreaded sequel curse. The film currently rates a 70% Rotten Tomatoes critics score with higher approval from audiences with an 86%. The audience score is the same as Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, although the critics score was six points higher for the first outing.
The Next Level delivers a similar performance as Welcome to the Jungle in terms of storytelling and acting. Overall, the biggest difference was a little less focus on action and more on character development and exploration of a deeper central theme. The last movie’s central theme was deconstructing stereotypes and appreciating each other’s strengths and weakness, both in game and IRL. At the end of Welcome to the Jungle, we see the four players return to the real world with a solid bond of friendship.
In The Next Level, the dynamics and complexities of enduring friendships are explored by our returning players, as well as newcomers Grampa Eddie (Danny DeVito) and ex-friend Milo (Danny Glover). The juxtaposition of the young friendships from the last film and the life-long friendship of Eddie and Milo are woven throughout the movie and handled in an intelligent and heartfelt way.
The storytelling is comparable in pace to the last movie even with the inclusion of more players in the world of Jumanji. The increased number of players actually brings a new level of meta to the franchise with the core group of actors (Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Karen Gillan, Nick Jonas, and new addition Awkwafina) expertly channeling the personas of the IRL individuals sucked into the game. It’s actually a bit of fun mindf***ery at times, with actors channeling multiple personas throughout the film.
In typical video game fashion, the players overcome the various challenges of each level, eventually battling the final level boss Jurgen the Brutal. (It’s nice to see Game of Thrones Rory “The Hound” McCann getting work.) At the conclusion of the game, friendships are evolved and strengthened.
Back in IRL, our players return the better for their experiences, including Grampa Eddie who starts a new, positive chapter in his life. This was enough for a satisfactory ending, but an interesting cliffhanger leaves open the door for another sequel. As of today, Jumanji: The Next Level has grossed $479 million worldwide. Not bad for a film with a production cost of roughly $125 million, so it seems likely Sony Pictures will green-light another chapter in the Jumanji saga.
If Johnson and team can bring the same level of storytelling to another film, I’ll play.
